Evert Heskes - Kindness: the glue that holds the body together

Kindness

It was only a sunny smile,
And little it cost in the giving;
But it scattered the night
Like morning light,
And made the day worth living.

Through life’s dark warp a woof it wove
In shining colours of hope and love;
And the angels smiled as they watched above,
Yet little it cost in the giving.

It was only a kindly word,
A word that was lightly spoken;
But not in vain,
For it stilled the pain
Of a heart that was nearly broken.

It strengthened a faith beset with fears,
And groping blindly through mists of tears,
For light to brighten the coming years,
Although it was lightly spoken.

It was only a helping hand
And it seemed of little availing;
But its clasp was warm,
And it saved from harm
A brother whose strength was failing.

Its touch was tender as angels’ wings
But it rolled the stone from the hidden springs
And pointed the way to higher things,
Though it seemed of little availing.

“Man has one super power in particular
which has the ability to greatly diminish
the amount of unhappiness in the world
from what it is at present.
This power is called kindness.”

Kindness by Frederick William Faber (paraphrased)

Outline

• My Childhood and experiences with Church
• Biblical view of Kindness
• My experience with NewLife Church
• George Mueller

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Kindness boils down to what we know as the golden rule:

• Luke 6:31 - “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
• Matthew 7:12 - “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the prophets.”

Other verses in the New Testament

• Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
• Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
• Acts 28:2 - The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.

1 Corinthians 13

1. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4. Love is patient,
   love is kind.
   It does not envy,
   it does not boast,
   it is not proud.
5. It does not dishonor others,
   it is not self-seeking,
   it is not easily angered,
   it keeps no record of wrongs.
6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
11. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
    
    • When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
12. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;
        then we shall see face to face.
    Now I know in part;
        then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
    But the greatest of these is love.

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Luke 6

35. But love your enemies,
    and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return,
    and your reward will be great,
    and you will be sons of the Most High,
    for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
36. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Name of Jesus Christ

• Christos - The annointed one
• chréstos - kind

Conclusion

• Be kind, be God-like!
• If God is in you, he will want to show himself in this way, so let him.